Reading Standards for Informational Text: Comparing and Contrasting Text Structures Across Texts (CCSS.RI.5.5)
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Common Core 5th Grade ELA › Reading Standards for Informational Text: Comparing and Contrasting Text Structures Across Texts (CCSS.RI.5.5)
To collect nectar, a honeybee follows a clear sequence. First, a scout bee leaves the hive and searches for flowers. When it finds a good patch, it returns and performs a waggle dance to show the direction. Next, worker bees fly to the spot. They land on a bloom, unroll their long tongues, and sip the sweet nectar. Then they store the nectar in a special honey stomach while moving from flower to flower. After that, they head back to the hive. There, the bees pass the nectar from mouth to mouth, letting water evaporate. Finally, they fan their wings to help dry the liquid until it becomes thick honey. At the end of the process, they seal the honeycomb cells with wax. These steps happen in order, like a recipe that starts and finishes the same way each time.
How is the passage mainly organized?
Cause and effect
Sequence/chronological order
Compare and contrast
All about bees
Explanation
The passage uses sequence words like first, next, then, after that, and finally to show steps in order.
City buses and subways both move many people, but they work in different ways. Both are public transportation, run on schedules, and let riders avoid driving and parking. However, buses travel on streets and can stop more often, while subways run on tracks underground or on raised rails and usually make fewer stops. Buses are affected by traffic lights and cars, but subways are mostly separate from busy roads, so their trips are less likely to slow down. On the other hand, buses can change routes around roadwork, but subways follow fixed lines. In a storm, a bus may slide on icy roads, whereas a subway train keeps moving through most weather. By showing similarities and differences, this passage compares two ways people get around a city.
How is the information in the passage mainly organized?
Cause and effect
Sequence of events
Compare and contrast
Description of city travel
Explanation
Words like both, however, on the other hand, and whereas show similarities and differences between buses and subways.
To make a simple kite, start by cutting a light plastic bag into a large diamond. Next, tape two thin wooden sticks across the diamond to form a cross, with one stick running from top to bottom and the other from side to side. Then, tie a piece of string where the sticks cross, leaving a long tail of string to hold while flying. After that, attach a long ribbon or strip of fabric to the bottom point to help the kite stay steady in the wind. Finally, check that all the tape is secure and take your kite to an open field. Hold the string, run a few steps, and let the breeze lift the kite. If it wobbles, adjust the tail or tighten the string before trying again. Follow these steps, and you'll have a kite ready for a windy day.
Which text structure is used in this passage?
Cause and effect
Sequence/steps
Problem and solution
Comparison/contrast
Explanation
The passage uses sequence words like "start," "next," "then," "after that," and "finally," showing steps in order.
Paper books and e-books both let readers enjoy stories and learn new facts, but they differ in how people use them. Paper books are physical objects that you can hold, flip through, and lend to a friend. They never run out of battery. However, e-books are stored on devices, so one tablet can carry many titles at once. Unlike paper books, e-books can change text size to make reading easier, and some devices have built-in lights. On the other hand, paper books feel sturdy, and many readers enjoy turning real pages. Both formats are portable and can be shared in different ways, yet each has its own strengths. By looking at what they have in common and how they are different, readers can choose the format that fits their needs.
How is the passage mainly organized?
Cause and effect
Sequence of steps
Comparison/contrast
Problem and solution
Explanation
Words like "both," "however," "unlike," and "on the other hand" signal comparing similarities and differences.
When beavers build a dam across a stream, they change the landscape in several connected ways. Because the dam blocks flowing water, a pond forms behind it. As a result, slow, deeper water collects sticks and leaves that would have washed away. The new pond creates shelter for fish, frogs, and insects, so more animals move in. The pond also soaks into the ground, which raises the water table; therefore nearby plants grow greener during dry weeks. However, the dam can also flood a small trail or field. When the water spreads, some trees die because their roots stay underwater too long. In turn, the dead trees become homes for woodpeckers. One action—the beavers building a dam—causes many effects, both helpful and harmful, throughout the area.
Which text structure is used in this passage?
Compare and contrast
Problem and solution
Description
Cause and effect
Explanation
Clue words like because, as a result, therefore, and causes show that building the dam leads to specific effects.
Each spring, our community garden follows the same steps to get ready for planting day. First, volunteers clear last year's dry stems and rake the beds so the soil is loose. Next, we spread compost over each row and mix it in with shovels. After that, we measure straight lines with string and mark spots for seeds. Then, small watering cans are filled and carried to each bed. Later, seed packets are opened, and we place each seed at the marked spot. Finally, we press soil over the seeds and set labels at the ends of the rows. By the end of the afternoon, tools are washed and returned to the shed. The steps always go in this order so that the garden is ready and nothing is forgotten.
Which text structure is used in this passage?
Comparison and contrast
Chronological sequence
Cause and effect
Problem and solution
Explanation
Signal words like "First," "Next," "After that," "Then," "Later," and "Finally" show steps in time order, which is a chronological sequence.
Our school noticed a big problem at lunch: many unopened fruits and full cartons of milk were being thrown away. The trash cans filled up quickly, and the cafeteria smelled by the end of the day. To solve this, a student group met with the custodian and the principal. First, they set up a share table where students could place sealed or whole items they didn't want. Next, volunteers reminded classes about taking only what they planned to eat. The team also created a simple plan for composting fruit peels. After these solutions were tried for two weeks, the amount of garbage dropped, and more food was eaten instead of wasted. The problem of food waste was addressed with several solutions, and the results showed the plan worked.
Which text structure best describes this passage?
Comparison/contrast
Cause and effect
Problem and solution
Sequence/chronology
Explanation
The passage states a problem (food waste) and explains solutions (share table, reminders, composting) and results, which is problem/solution.
Over the weekend, steady rain fell for two days. Because the ground was already soaked, the water could not sink in. As a result, the river swelled and spilled over its banks. The rising water flooded nearby streets, which led to several road closures. Therefore, buses could not run their normal routes on Monday morning, and the school announced a late start. The wet conditions also caused playgrounds to remain closed to protect the fields from damage. When the sun returned, crews cleared debris and set up barriers to prevent more flooding. The changes in the schedule and the cleanup all happened because of the heavy rain and the ground's inability to absorb more water.
How is the passage mainly organized?
Description of a place
Comparison of two storms
Sequence of daily events
Cause and effect
Explanation
Clue words like "because," "as a result," "led to," and "therefore" show cause/effect connections.
City buses and subways both move many people without using separate cars for each rider. They are similar because riders pay a small fare and share space with others. However, the two systems differ in important ways. Buses travel on streets and can change routes when a road is closed, while subways run on tracks underground or on raised rails and follow the same path every day. Unlike buses, subways are not slowed by traffic lights or weather as often, so they can be faster during busy hours. On the other hand, buses can stop closer to neighborhoods that do not have stations. By comparing how they are alike and different, riders can choose which works best for a trip.
How is the passage mainly organized?
Description of how to buy a ticket
Cause and effect
Comparison and contrast
Chronological sequence of a ride
Explanation
Clues like "both," "similar," "differ," "while," "unlike," and "On the other hand" show a comparison/contrast structure.
When a city plants more native flowers, the number of visiting bees often increases. This happens because native plants provide nectar and pollen that match local bee species. With more food available, bee colonies grow stronger. As a result, bees visit gardens and farms more frequently, and more flowers are pollinated. Increased pollination leads to larger harvests of fruits and vegetables. In turn, residents enjoy fresher produce at markets. However, if lawns replace wildflowers, bees lose key food sources. Then bee numbers can drop, which reduces pollination. Therefore, fewer plants make seeds and fruit. These changes show how plant choices can cause clear effects throughout a neighborhood.
How is the passage mainly organized?
Problem and solution
Description of bees' body parts
Comparison and contrast between cities
Cause and effect
Explanation
Words like "because," "As a result," "leads to," and "Therefore" show reasons and results, which signal a cause-and-effect structure.